


The Calm Beneath the Waves

by meridian_rose (meridianrose)



Category: Da Vinci's Demons
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Bingo, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Merman Nico, Season/Series 02, Shipwrecks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 14:52:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6083733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meridianrose/pseuds/meridian_rose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>S2 AU; when Riario's ship goes down in the storm, Nico discovers a new ability that lets him save himself, Riario, and Zita.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Calm Beneath the Waves

**Author's Note:**

> For the hurt/comfort bingo February amnesty challenge prompts: first transformation, falsely imprisoned, taking care of someone, shipwrecked (wildcard)

Nico sat in his cell, wondering if Zo was even still alive – he was a survivor and if anyone could live after being thrown overboard it was Zo.

When worrying about Zo, rather than giving in and grieving over him, wasn't enough to distract Nico's thoughts, he turned to wondering if Leo would ever be able to rescue him from this prison, from Riario's clutches.

When the storm began, Nico remembered the prophecy Leo claimed some mysterious Turk had given him, that only Leo could make the journey in safety.

It looked like they were going to die.

As the waves swept over the ship, sending water flooding down into his cell, Nico was surprised when Riario staggered down below, fumbling for the keys. Whatever else Riario had done to Nico, whatever other wrongs he'd done, it seemed that he was not going to leave Nico down here to drown.

They were both soaked through, yelling to be heard over the gale force winds as they fought their way up to the deck. The ship was listing badly.

Nico watched as Riario pulled the woman, Zita, to him, kissing her. They were going to drown, and he was saying goodbye. Nico wished he had someone to say goodbye to. He was far from home, would be forever lost, without even a gravesite. No one would know what happened to him, not that he'd gone nor where he'd died.

Lightening struck the ocean, and another wave breached the ship. Nico was pulled overboard.

#

It was peaceful in the ocean depths. The roar of the waves was gone.

Nico hung in the water, not even swimming, just suspended.

He could breathe underwater.

That was new.

Vague memories drifted to the forefront of his mind. Images of his mother arguing that he ought to be told, that his grandmother had had a Gift, and that, while it had skipped a generation, Nico might have the same ability. His father however didn't want Nico to be raised to think he was something unnatural, especially when nothing might come of it. The first transformation came only under duress anyway, and it was unlikely Nico would ever discover by accident that he was special.

The shipwreck surely counted as duress.

Special how, he'd never known. There were the rare dreams though, visions of the calm within the ocean. Images exactly like this, ancestral memories, perhaps.

Nico lifted his hands to his neck and found gills. It didn't frighten him though it probably should. He was relieved to find he didn't have a tail in place of his legs, though his wrists had grown something like fins, and maybe his ankles had too, hidden under his boots.

He pushed up and the way he could glide through the water was Nico's new favourite thing in the world. He surfaced and was hit by the wind and rain once more.

He spotted a body and swam towards it instinctively. Riario was clinging to a piece of wood, hair plastered to his face.

"Zita," he yelled before Nico could get close. "Where's Zita?"

Nico looked around. He spotted her as she surfaced only to be dragged back below the waves. If he saved Zita, he couldn't be sure he could return to rescue Riario. But Riario wanted him to choose Zita, and she was an innocent in a way Riario was not. There was only one choice.

Nico kicked off, dipping below the waves, where it was calmer, searching for Zita. He found her, holding him to her and swimming upwards. She gasped for air the moment they breached the surface.

"Hold on," Nico yelled and dragged her towards the shore. It was difficult to swim against the storm, but he couldn’t risk taking her below the waves. At last they were only knee deep in the water and she found her feet, staggering up to the beach.

"Count Riario," she begged, staring out at the angry ocean, at the sinking ship. "Please save him!"

For a brief moment, Nico considered letting Riario drown; it would be a suitable punishment. But Zita's obvious grief swayed him, that, and the idea that perhaps he'd been given this gift for a reason. Heroes saved people, didn't they?

So Nico headed back out, not even sure if he could find Riario at all. Perhaps God was looking out for Riario after all, for Nico did manage to locate him, dragging the unconscious count back to shore.

Zita met him with tears in her eyes, and helped him pull Riario up the beach away from the sea. Once they were a safe distance from the waves, Nico knelt at Riario's side. "He's alive," he told Zita, pressing chilly fingers to Riario's neck.

"Thank God," Zita said, crossing herself.

"We need to start a fire," Nico said, shivering now he was on dry land. Under the water he'd been warm, but now his teeth were chattering. He put his hands to his own neck; his gills were gone now they weren't needed, for which he was grateful. "Gather stones and anything you can burn, make a firepit. I'll go and get some wood."

Zita leant over Riario and pulled one of his daggers free of its sheath. "Take this," she urged and Nico nodded, grateful.

He didn't dare go too far into the jungle but he scavenged an armful of wood, hacking at some promising branches with the dagger for good measure. He also gathered up some vines, trying to find dead or dying stems.

When he returned to the beach, Zita had done a good job of making a hollow in the sand and lining the edges with stones and shells. She'd scoured the shore for flotsam and jetsam and there was a small pile of debris nearby that included a few pieces of fruit.

It would have been easier if they'd had a tinderbox but Nico knew how to start a fire and began rubbing sticks industriously until the vines began to smoke. Their luck held, and once the fire was begun it burnt well, if smoking thickly in annoyance at some of the damper wood.

Zita had tried her best to wring out Riario's clothing and now she was stroking his hair back from his face. Nico hadn't had any idea their affection ran so deep.

"Thank you, she murmured to Nico. "You are our little angel, sent to deliver us."

"I'm not an angel."

"You are special," she insisted, proving she'd seen evidence of his otherworldly nature before his gills and fins had vanished.

"You can't tell anyone, ever," Nico said, the hint of a threat in his voice.

"Of course, sir," Zita said, lowering her gaze. "As you command it."

Riario coughed and opened his eyes. Zita soothed him but he would not be content to lie there helpless for long and sat up.

"Nico," he said, and there was unexpected warmth there. He glanced around. "Where are the others?"

"We are the only survivors," Nico said bluntly.

Riario lowered his gaze. If he felt guilty then it was no more than he deserved, but Nico was inclined to be charitable if Riario truly did feel some regret and responsibility for his part in the tragedy.

Zita placed her hand on Riario's shoulder. He gave a weak smile and lifted his gaze to study the stars.

"Tomorrow we should try and find a source of fresh water," Riario said, taking charge. "Perhaps build a shelter, and gather more food. But for now this will suffice. You've done well. Thank you." He made sure to acknowledge both Zita and Nico with a glance.

Nico nodded. They had survived, and Riario would probably help keep them all alive until Leo could show up. He'd rather have Zo here, but a steely determination to live and a previously unsuspected capacity to care for others meant that Riario wasn't so terrible a companion.

Zita leaned her head on Riario's shoulder, though she gave Nico a soft smile. She knew his secret.

Nico swallowed and shuffled closer to the fire, staring into the flames. Leo would show up and save them. He always did.

Nico would not lose faith now. Not when he'd just experienced something miraculous himself.


End file.
